Covered receptacle



Passed Mu. 2z, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

czunms .1. AULnAcH, on Passare, Naw wasnt, sare/Non 'ro rassarc mirar.'wann COMPANY, or Passaic maw Jnnsnv, a conronrrou or :mw mnsny.

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Application med November 12, 1825. Serial No. 68,525.

My invention relates to improvements in containers, such as so-calledtin cans, provided with detachable covers having flanges, the containersand the cover flanges having coopera-tive'thread means or screw threads,

vwhereby the covers may be screwed tightly upon the containers. In suchclass of containers there is liability that the covers may vbecomeloosened during transportation and handling, that is to say, the coversmay become more or less unscrewed due to jars and vother such incidents,whereby air may enter the containers or thevcontents may sift o ut.

The object of my invention is to provide cooperative' means between thecontalner and the flange ofthe cover so related that when the cover isscrewed tightlI upon the container they will be locke together againstaccidental or spontaneous loosening or unscrewing of the cover.

My invention com rises novel details of improvement that wi l be morefully herelnafter set forth and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a parthereof, where- Fig. 1 is a side elevatonof a receptacle embodying myinvention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the cover detached from the rece tacle;

Fig. A3 is an enlarged detai cross section on line 3, 3, in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4; is a lcross section on line 4, 4, 1n Fig. 2; and y Fig. 5 is adetail section' online 5, 5, in Fi 2.

similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in theseveral views. 0

The container body 1, as illustrated, 4is generally of ordinaryconstruction and 1s represented in the form of a conventional so-calledtin can shown rovided with an inwardly extending rolle edge 2 at theopen end and with an outwardl extending bead `3 at a distance from saiend, a suitable bottom 4 being attached to the container in anydesiredway. The cover ofthe' container is indicated at 5 shown having a.substantially iiat top provided with an annularly disposed inwardlyinclined projection or indenture at 6 adapted to cooperate with the edge2 of the container body to make aV tight fit therewith, the coverbeingprovided withaflangeorskirt'edqptedwiit 4around the container atthe open end.

Thread means are rovided between the container body and t e flange 7 fordetachably securing the cover on the former. In the example illustratedthe body 1 is provided adjacent to its open end with angullarlydisposedspaced threads 8, which may be made by pressing the material of the bodyoutwardly, which threads-each extend for asuitable distance around thebody and the end portionsof adjacent threads overlap, or extend onebeyond the other, providing spaces- 9 therebetween, the m'idortions ofthe threads being exposed free rom oneY another. The flan e 7 of thecover is provided with spaced t reads 10 which are shorter than thethreads 8 and have substantiall the same eneral angular position as thetreads 8 wen the body and cover are assembled. The threadslO may be madeby pressing the metal of ilange 7 inwardly. It will be assumed that theforegoing parts are made'of suitable sheet metal, such as so called tinlate, whereby the open end of the container od is more or less flexibleand the flange 7 o the cover is'more or less flexible. The thread meansmay be of any suit propriete direction, as in the manner of y unitingscrew threaded parts. The parts above described are substantiall similarto the container set forth in Unite States Letters Patent N o.`1,443,6$2,-granted January Upon the container body near its open endand upon the 'flange 7 provide locking means that will operate, when thecover has been screwed tightly upon the body, to retain the cover fromaccidental or s ntaneous unscrewing or loosening from t e body. In theexample illustrated projections 11 are provided upon vthe bodyadjacentjto the threads 8, and extending at one side thereof. therebybeing located between the open end of the body and the bead 3, and stopsor projections 12 are provided on the flange 7 to cooperate withcorresponding projections I11 when the cover isl screwed u on the bodyto lock the parts together. T e stops 12 are shown located in theangular direction or plane 'of the thread means 10 of the angl', e

said, stops located nearer extend under the corresponding thread 8.

The relative locations of the threads, projections and stops on the bodyand the cover ange are such that when the cover has been screwed tightlyupon the body astop 12 will have passed over a4 projection 11 and have fsnapped behind the saine to lockthe cover in lace onthe body, theflexibility of the flange g permitting vsufficient expansion thereof toenable projection -12 to ride upon a' projection11 and snap behind thesame, although the flexible openend of the'body may bend .inwardly forthe purpose. It is not possible in the commercial production of tin cansfor all of themto have equal dimensions from the threads 8 to theextreme outer edges of the bodies', nor from the beads 3 to such edges,nor to have the cover flanges 7 all ofthe saine depth' from the tops ofthe covf ers to the extreme lower edges of the flanges that would engagethe beads 3. Hence I provide one 'ormore series of adjacent projections11, having spaces 11 therebetween to receive a corresponding,complemental stop or projection 12 on flange 7, so that the stop maypass one .or more fof the projections 11 -oi? a series to enter acorresponding space 11a, or to enter the spaceat 11, to accommodateyextreme inequalities in the dimensions specified between various'bodies and covers, when the'thread means have functioned in thescrewing of the cover on the body.

In the example illustrated the distance between the edges a and I;A -ofan adjacent thread 10 and stop or projection -12 is slightly greaterthan the distance between/the outer edges al and e of three associatepro- A jections 11,' (Fig. 2), to prevent a thread 10 of the coverflange from abutting against a -projectioii 11 on the body before thecover is locked thereon by the cooperation of an adjacent stop 12 withthe last projection 11 v of a series of three. lIt also will be observedthatthe projections 11 and the stops 12 are independent of the threadmeans in such a way that the latter may coo erate in screw'- ing thecover oli the body without regard to -the locking means 11 and 12, andthe latter cooperate independently of the thread means,

When the cover .isto'besecuredupon the body 1 the parts maybe locatedsubstantially and rest in the first space 11' in case4 the cover litstightly at the open end of the body with its inward projection orindenture 6.'

engaging the open-end of the body. In case the cover is not entirelytight upon the vbody the cover will be further rotated i-n the directionof said arrow so that the aforesaid stop ,12 will ride over the nextprojection 11 of the series and enter the adjacent space 11a. If thecover is not then securely tightened at 'of said thread to'ride oversaid projection the end of the body the cover will be further rotated sothat said stop 12 will ride over the last rojection 11 and enter thespace 11b. In either event, when the cover is screwed securely on theend of the body a stop 12 -will have p beyond one of theprojections 11and serve to lock thecover on the body and. prevent reverse rotation ofthe cover spontaneously or accidentally, as fromjars` occurring in transrtation or handling,

whereby to retain a tig t closure between the cover and the body toprevent the entrance of air and dust into the body or the sifting ofcontents therefrom. When the cover is unscrewed fromr the body the stop12 will ride on a lprojection or projections 11 to release-the ockingeffect.

1t will, be understood that the cover ilange may be provided with onestop 12 spaced from' a companion thread 10 and the body may be providedwith one or more projections 11 to cooperate with said stop 12. -I iidit preferable to provide a stop 12 for each thread 10'and severalprojections 11 for each thread 8 to assure locking of the covers on thebodies and provide against accidental or spontaneous unscrewng orloosening of the covers from the bodies.

Having now described iny invention what I claim is 1. A containercomprising a body having an open end, a cover having a flange to fitaround said end, thread means upon't e body and flange to detachablyretain the cover on the body, and locking meanfon the body and coverflange distinct from the threadv iin posed sto onthe other part to rideupon and beyond t e projections to cooperate in locking the cover on thebody when the'thread means have functioned in the screwing of the coveron the body, the thread means and,

body when the thread means have functioned' in the screwing of the coveron the body.

4. A container comprising a body having an open end, a cover having aflange to fit around. said end, spaced threads upon the body near itsopen end, outwardlydisposed projections located upon the bodyv at oneside of the threads between the ends of the latter, threads upon thecover flange to co- 30 o the thread means with said projections to 'lockthe cover on the body when the threads have functioned in screwing thecover on the body.

5. A container as set -forth in claim 4.. in which the projections uponthe body are located in planes parallel to andspaced from the adjacentbody threads and the stops upon the cover flange are spaced from theadjacent flange threads and located in the angular planes thereof.

.6. A container colnprisino' a body having a flexible open end, acoverliaving a flexible flange to ft around said end, threads upon theod-y near the open end, spaced projections at one side of the threads,and stops upon the flange to cooperate with said projections for lockingthe cover on the body', the fiexibility of the body end and the flangepermitting the stops to ride upon and beyond the projections, said stopsbeing located in ositi'on to pass under the body threads wit outcooperating with the latterfto engage said projections. the thread meanscooperating to attach the cover upon the body without cooperating withvthe projections and sto s.

g 7E.) A container as set forth inclaim 6, in which the stops are spacedfrom the adjacent flange threads and are located nearer the inner edgeof thel cover flange than the last named threads.

CHARLES J. AULBACH.

